What to Expect From Emile Smith Rowe
Brady Frost, Feature Writer
Twitter: @brady0894
With the 19-year-old joining on loan until the end of the season, we look at what Smith Rowe can bring to the John Smith’s Stadium.
It’s the first signing of the January transfer window that’s hopefully not the last for Town, but in a month where we’re expecting more outgoing than incoming, this is one player through the door that has the potential to excite.
Emile Smith Rowe is a promising young player with a big future and could add real attacking quality to a Huddersfield side that has so desperately needed it.
Danny Cowley seemed pleased with the temporary acquisition. Talking on HTAFC.com, he said:
“Nicky and I spent a week at Arsenal in the summer and Emile is a player that we know well. We’ve got some good relationships with the Club and we’re very appreciative of them loaning us one of their very best young players.
“Emile will give us the creative link that we’ve been missing. He can play in a range of attacking positions and he can speed up our play. We’re really looking forward to working with him.”
Emile Smith Who?
Source: Arsenal
At Arsenal, since he was nine years old, Smith Rowe has progressed through the ranks, skirting the fringes of the first team for the London club this season. Now 19 years old, and with just 13 appearances so far this term, this up-and-coming England U20 international needs game time. The move to Town comes at a key point for a team trying to distance itself from the relegation zone, and Emile could be the creative spark to climb up the table to safety.
It was under Mikel Arteta’s predecessor, Unai Emery where the youngster got his break at the North London club, joining the Arsenal first team’s pre-season tour to Singapore in 2018. He even scored against Atletico Madrid, two days before his 18th birthday and certainly impressed in that pre-season.
When it came to the 2018-19 Premier League season, he didn’t make any appearances yet there were some highlights for the Croydon-born player. In October 2018, he became Arsenal’s second-youngest player to score for the club, netting in a 3-0 Europa League win against Qarabag. Further appearances in the competition followed, as well as featuring in the Carabao Cup where he scored in a 2-1 victory over Blackpool.
With a lack of opportunities that season, he joined German club, RB Leipzig, on loan in January 2019 but a groin injury cut the loan short. Now, fully fit and ready to make an impression, he arrives at Huddersfield Town.
What type of player is he?
Source: Arsenal
Smith Rowe is an attacking midfielder who plays through the middle and has been described as ‘fearless attack-minded playmaker’. Despite his assertive offensive style, he has the versatility to play on either the left or right-wing, providing some competition to Kachunga and Grant, if Grant is deployed on the left and not as the central striker.
He’s played three times in the Europa League this season and in every game, a different position. He played 60 minutes as a right midfielder away to Eintracht Frankfurt, an entire game as a left midfielder to Portuguese side Vitória Guimarães SC, and lastly, and 85-minute appearance as an attacking midfielder away to Standard Liège.
In September, Emile made just his seventh senior appearance against West Ham and here’s what Amy Lawrence, Arsenal Correspondent from The Athletic, made of his performance. She said: “His application and attitude to chase up and down his flank and compete stood out.”
This is exactly what the Huddersfield squad is lacking, a player who is an adaptable attacking option and can add some much-needed depth to a bare-bones team.
It’s unclear where the Cowleys will play Smith Rowe, but if you had to hazard a guess it would be in a role similar to Pritchard, an attacking midfielder in the No.10 position. This is where he currently has the most experience, having previously last played in this role in a 66-minute appearance in Arsenal’s 0-0 draw with Everton at Goodison Park.
Is that somewhere he sees himself playing long-term? That seems to be the case if his own comments to Arsenal.com are anything to go by. Talking about his preferred position in 2018, he said: “Sometimes I’ve played as a 4 or an 8, but I enjoy playing at No 10 most. I love driving towards goal with the ball, and I feel like my range of passing and awareness has improved too, and some people have even compared my playing style to Kevin de Bruyne’s!”
He’s got the versatility that Huddersfield needs, but his loan move from Arsenal could give him the opportunity to shine and nail down a permanent position as an attacking midfielder.
Wait, Kevin De Bruyne?
Source: Arsenal
Town’s very own Kevin De Bruyne? The Arsenal youngster has been likened to the Belgian midfield maestro, and while no-one is expecting him to perform anywhere near that level just yet, it’s important to understand where those comparisons have come from.
While he’s not yet got the passing range of the Man City midfielder, his runs from deep in his own half have a similar spark. Receiving the ball from his defensive colleagues and claiming possession, Smith Rowe has the pace to make bursting runs and bring the ball forward, driving through the opposition with high acceleration. This has been something sorely needed by Huddersfield squad’s slow midfield.
Basically, he’s a quick lad. How quick? Smith Rowe has trained with Team Great Britain’s sprint coaches every summer since he was 13, so that should give you some indication.
He’s also been compared to Jack Wilshere for his close control and dribbling skills which had people raving about the West Ham midfielder when he first burst on the scene. Like Wilshere, Smith Rowe has had his injury problems, particularly last season.
But Leipzig’s loss can certainly be Town’s gain, as this young player was a key part of the World Cup-winning England U17s team in 2017, playing alongside a certain Jadon Sancho. Clearly, he’s a promising talent if he can stay fit and let’s hope that we see his potential flourish in the blue and white. Huddersfield has an exciting player on their hands who could light up the Championship.
How do you think Emile Smith Rowe will do at Town? Let us know in the comments.
